Every possession in the playoffs makes a massive difference. The Indiana Fever clinched the opening series against the Atlanta Dream behind clutch plays from Aliyah Boston and Lexie Hull. The Lynx also stunned the Valkyries with a strong comeback in the fourth quarter. But for the series’ opening game against the Mercury, Cheryl Reeve’s wild card was Maria Kliundikova.
The 27-year-old scored just four points and had four rebounds in the game in eight minutes, yet she had the highest ‘plus-minus’ in the game, highlighting her positive impact on the floor.
Cheryl Reeve Praises Maria Kliundikova
High-scoring night, steals, blocks, and rebounds are some measurable stats that impact the game results, yet a few underrated stats that make a vast difference are ‘decision making’ and taking care of each possession. While the Lynx’s superstar trio delivered on every stat in the game, the difference maker for the HC Reeve was the Russian forward Kliundikova.
Addressing the press in the postgame interview, Kayla McBride first highlighted the 2018 rookie’s impact. “Eight minutes, plus 14–that’s huge. That’s the difference between winning and losing,” McBride said.
HC Reeve also agreed to the observation and mentioned that those were the best eight minutes for the team. Those eight minutes came in the third and fourth quarters of the match-up, when the hosts turned the game in their favor. She also had an assist and two steals in the game, showing active hands to clinch an important win.
Maria Kliundikova #Impact pic.twitter.com/cAUeaPkqHk
— Manny (@whenigomissing) September 22, 2025
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Against a strong opponent like the Mercury, the Lynx will need similar production from its players to win the series and advance to the finals.
Cheryl Reeve’s Decision To Substitute Maria Kliundikova
One of the key decisions the former US national team coach made was bringing in the Euro Cup winner at the right time. While the Minnesota Lynx’s strength lies in its depth, DiJonai Carrington is out for the season following a knee injury, forcing Reeve to go deep in the team’s roster.
Kliundikova entered the game late in the third and opened the fourth quarter. Napheesa Coller sat during this stretch, giving her a breather for the closing moments of the game. Moreover, the Mercury team had dominated the paint region (42 out of 47 points) in the first half, and the addition of a 6-foot-4 forward limited their options, providing the side a chance to cut down the lead.
Alyssa Thomas set a triple-double record in the earlier game and was in line for another massive production. But Kliundikova guarded her in the second half, helping the team restrict her to just two points.